Nintendo chose its E3 Expo presentation to provide a much anticipated first look at the new Wii U controller in addition to a system update and new 3D games for its $250 3DS handheld gaming device released earlier this year.

The Wii U controller combines a 6.2-inch touchscreen, traditional inputs and motion control functionality. The wireless device will support full HD graphics (a first for Nintendo) and is backward compatible with all Wii games and accessories. Interesting features include a microphone, gyroscope, accelerometer, front-facing camera and stylus. Even though it shares a number of characteristics with other handheld devices, the Wii U controller was not designed to serve as a portable gaming device. However, users will be able to game and video chat (even without a television). By adding another screen to the home entertainment experience, Nintendo is hoping to redefine “how the TV, the game console and the Internet function and interact together.”

According to the Nintendo press release: “Previously, video games played on a home console have been confined to the TV and offered identical viewpoints to each player in a multiplayer environment. Furthermore, watching TV and playing console games have been completely separate experiences. The new controller removes these boundaries, creating a more dynamic and fluid gaming and entertainment experience.”

Gamers can use the controller to zoom in on television images and to interact with games that appear on both the controller and TV screens. In a video demo of the system, Nintendo showed a player sending a throwing star from the controller’s touchscreen to the TV screen across the room with a swipe of his finger, as if the weapon actually flew through the air. The Wii U has similar functionality when connected to the Internet, allowing users to essentially “throw” photos or videos from the controller onto the television screen.

The dynamic of adding an additional screen to the gaming experience in the controller is difficult to explain in words, so Engadget has posted a 5-minute video demo of multi-player gaming (produced by the Nintendo Network). And Nintendo’s compelling 4-minute Wii U video from the E3 presentation is available on YouTube. It illustrates capabilities of the new device including video chats, drawing with a stylus, motion control functionality, browsing, TV interaction (even with the virtual space beyond the TV screen) and more. Additional video footage of the Nintendo E3 presentation is available on the CNET channel on YouTube.

Although specific pricing and availability was not announced at E3, the Wii U is expected to have a mid- to late-2012 release. Screen resolution was also not specified, but the display ratio is 16:9.

The company also announced a new system upgrade to its glasses-free, portable 3D device, the Nintendo 3DS (that launched March 27). Users who connect via a wireless Internet connection and install the update will have access to the Nintendo eShop, which features downloadable games and applications using a cash-based system. According to the site, gamers can access “3D games, classic games remade in 3D, and legendary titles from the Game Boy system — plus more. View webpages right from your Nintendo 3DS system, including the ability to view 3D images on the Internet where applicable.”

Nintendo also announced its initiatives to celebrate the 25th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda: “A re-mastered 3D version of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time launches for Nintendo 3DS on June 19, while Wii owners will see the arrival of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword in the 2011 holiday season.”

For the duration of the E3 Expo, fans can visit the Nintendo Network online to watch developer interviews, get information about new games and see coverage from the show floor.

Related CNET article: “E3 2011: Nintendo’s new Wii U set for 2012” (6/7/11)

Related Engadget post (with press release and videos): “The Wii U controller, revealed!” (6/7/11)

Related CNN Tech article: “Nintendo unveils the Wii U system” (6/7/11)

Related USA Today article: “Nintendo unveils Wii U, with a touch-screen display” (6/7/11)

Related Yahoo! Games article: “Nintendo debuts Wii U” (6/7/11)

Related Xbit Laboratories news: “AMD and IBM Confirm Work on Chips for Nintendo Wii U” (6/7/11)

Related ABC News article (comparing announcements from Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft): “Wii 2: Nintendo Wii U Video Game Console Debuts at E3 Expo” (6/7/11)

It should come as no surprise to our audience that industry opinions regarding 3D entertainment are mixed. Despite technological advancements we’ve seen in recent years to gaming, theatrical film exhibition, television sets, production processes and a variety of consumer products — a number of significant questions continue to spark debate: Glasses or glasses-free? Active or passive? Standard feature or gimmick? Strong or slow consumer adoption? However, a number of recent studies agree on one thing — the near future of 3D will see some tremendous growth.

In a report released this week, digital entertainment market researcher In-Stat predicts global 3D TV shipments will be up nearly 500 percent this year, compared with 2010. The report also suggests that all televisions with screen sizes 40 inches and above will soon be 3D-enabled. The In-Stat forecast is joined by another report from NPD Group subsidiary DisplaySearch that suggests 3D TVs will account for approximately one-third of all 120 Hz LCD sets in 2011. DisplaySearch also explained that 3D TV penetration will expand as the 3D feature is added to more basic models in upcoming years. Researcher IHS iSuppli adds that 2012 will be another year of triple-digit growth for 3D TV shipments.

“In a major recalibration effort, television brands are changing strategies this year following lukewarm response to 3D in 2010 when consumers balked at the high price of sets and the lack of 3D content,” explained Riddhi Patel, director for television systems and retail services at IHS. “In 2011, however, brands are marketing 3D not as a must-have technology but as a desirable feature, similar to the approach they have taken with Internet connectivity.”

This week’s In-Stat report offers the following numbers:

• Households with 3D TV sets will eclipse 300 million in 2015.
• In 2011 Europe will boast the most 3D TV unit shipments at just over 7 million.
• By 2015 Asia/Pacific will have the largest share of 3D TV unit shipments at 32 percent.

Additionally, an industry survey recently conducted by crew booking and payroll company Media Services indicates that 3D is becoming a “predominant mode of production” — as nearly half of respondents indicated their businesses will emphasize 3D film and television production in the next five years.

The question regarding consumer adoption may soon be impacted by increased production numbers and lower prices from manufacturers (and if the shipment predictions above prove accurate, it may not matter). As CNET reports, “NPD found that 45 percent of people who won’t buy a 3D TV cite price as the barrier and 42 percent say its the special 3D glasses. But as In-Stat’s study has found, consumers may not have much of a choice. Vendors are continuing to add 3D capability, especially to bigger-screen sets. And if folks want bigger screens, they will soon get 3D capability whether they seek it or not.”

Related Below the Line post: “Study Reveals Shift to 3D Over the Next Five Years” (5/17/11)

Related Advanced Television article: “3D TV shipments up 500% in 2011” (5/6/11)

Related TV Technology post: “RealD, Samsung Partner in 3DTV Display Project” (5/17/11)

Related Engadget post (and videos): “Intel will mass produce 3D transistors for all future CPUs, starting with 22nm Ivy Bridge” (5/4/11)

Related PCMag.com article: “3D Transistors, EUV, and the Future of Chipmaking: Why it Matters” (5/6/11)

Wes McDermott (“the 3D Ninja”) has released version 1.0.2 of his app for creating handheld camera animations in Autodesk Maya 3D software. CameraMan for Maya is an interesting new utility app for the iPhone 4, iPod touch and iPad 2 (currently available for $1.99 on iTunes).

The app uses the Apple devices’ gyroscope hardware as a motion capture device to control X, Y and Z rotations of the camera. It enables users to adjust the focal length with a slider, record animation, and provides Maya timeline playback controls. The 3D Ninja Blog features a helpful 29-minute video tutorial.

Requirements (according to the CameraMan for Maya iTunes page): Compatible with iPhone 4, iPod touch (4th generation), iPad 2 Wi-Fi, and iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G. Requires iOS 4.1 or later.

At the 2011 NAB show in Las Vegas, filmmaker James Cameron and 3D production expert and cinematographer Vince Pace discussed their newly-formed company, the Cameron-Pace Group (CPG), aimed at promoting 3D production and streamlining its processes with the FUSION 3D camera and workflow packages.

According to the company’s website: “CPG’s expansion will include proven solutions for 3D productions worldwide including industry-wide 3D advocacy, driving innovations in technology, and delivering products, services and creative tools for filmmakers and broadcasters in ways never addressed or witnessed before.”

Headquartered in Burbank, the company already has 53 employees. “Our goal,” Cameron said at NAB, “is to banish all the perceived and actual barriers to entry that are currently holding back producers, studios and networks from embracing the 3D future.”

Broadcast Engineering reports that upcoming CPG projects include the ESPN X Games 17, the NBA Finals, and feature films such as Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon, The Three Musketeers and Martin Scorsese’s The Invention of Hugo Cabret.

For more information, the Cameron-Pace Group company overview is available in PDF format.

IPTV News interviews Vassilis Seferidis, director of business development at Samsung Electronics, in this interesting article regarding the direction of 3D TV. Based on recent market growth and the update of 3D TV channel subscriptions, Seferidis believes consumers have no hesitation in enthusiastically adopting 3D TV. He adds that the fundamental obstacle in moving forward at this point is the availability of 3D content.

In terms of technological progress at Samsung, Seferidis comments, “For our 2011 TV line-up we have introduced a series of 3D TV innovations including: new lightweight active 3D glasses with better shutter synchronization for better separation of the two stereo channels; wireless (induction-based) re-charging station for 3D glasses; the ability to add prescription inserts to your 3D glasses (similar to those used in diving goggles); and improved processing of the 3D video signal on the TV panel for a better separation and presentation of each stereo channel.”

Seferidis is slated to deliver a presentation in mid-May at the 3DTV World Forum in London’s Thistle Marble Arch Hotel.

GoPro is gaining in consumer popularity thanks to its collection of Hero Camera mounts that allow users to attach inexpensive cameras to everything from ski helmets to the tips of surfboards for action footage. Already popular with skiers, snowboarders, surfers, bikers and other outdoor enthusiasts and extreme athletes, the GoPro line is starting to become more common with professional cameramen as well. Nature photographers, in particular, are using GoPro products to shoot footage of hard-to-reach places, such as inside a cobra’s den or a shark’s mouth.

The small, six-ounce, 1080p camera comes with a water-tight housing and starts at $260.

GoPro’s parent company, Woodman Labs Inc., is receiving funding from outside investors, including Steamboat Ventures, a venture capital fund backed by Disney (Steamboat Ventures was also an investor in Pure Digital, maker of the popular Flip pocket camcorder). Steamboat plans to help GoPro expand further into the professional market.

Gizmodo offers a positive review of the 3D Hero System — a $99 3D kit (cameras not included) that GoPro bills as “the world’s smallest 1080p 3D camera.” The system combines two HD cameras in a waterproof housing that enables users to shoot synchronized photos and video (2D and 3D) that can then be edited in 3D with the free CineForm Studio software.

Most helmet and similar cameras have gone to wide angle lenses to ensure footage and minimize shake. The result was effective, but made things look smaller when viewed. Gizmodo notes that “adding 3D gives depth to the trees and objects rushing past you,” providing for a more immersive viewing experience.

You can check out the GoPro video demo to see how the 3D Hero System works.

Related Wall Street Journal story: “Camcorder Popular With Surfers Looks to Ride Professional Market” (4/6/11)

In the wake of disappointing 3D TV sales for 2010 (due in large part to a lack of 3D content), this year may see new traction as television vendors switch their strategy to marketing 3D as one feature of new high-def sets, rather than the single selling point. More 3D content is on the horizon via cable and satellite TV channels, Blu-ray Discs and video games. Eventual adoption may also be impacted as consumers shoot their own video with 3D-enabled camcorders.

Disney’s ESPN 3D sports channel began broadcasting in mid-February — while Sony, Discovery and Imax launched their 3net channel the same month. Comcast and DirecTV already have 3D channels, and more than 100 3D channels worldwide are expected by 2015.

“Clearly, lack of content has been holding the market back,” explained Chris Chinnock, president of research firm Insight Media. “But one or two years into the HDTV transition there wasn’t much programming either … It took about seven years to reach 11 percent (household) penetration with HDTV.”

DisplaySearch predicts 6.6 million 3D TVs will ship in North America in 2011 (16 percent of the more than 40 million sets expected to be sold). The research and consulting firm is targeting 15.2 million 3D TVs to ship in 2012 (up 130 percent).

Home Media Magazine reports that in order to evaluate the potential success of 3D in the home, industry insiders are analyzing current 3D trends in movie theaters.

Chris Chinnock, president of Insight Media, indicates more than 100 3D films are currently in production. Chinnock adds that more than 160 were released in theaters between 2008 and 2011 — and an estimated 140-plus, at minimum, will be released between 2012 and 2015. (Insight Media oversees the cross-industry 3D@Home Consortium.)

According to Chinnock, approximately 8,000 screens in the U.S. are 3D-enabled, which may bode well for 3D in the home since most of the theatrical releases will likely get a 3D Blu-ray Disc release. Home Media Magazine reports: “Combine those with an expected 10 3D channels launching this year (25 more in 2012), 100-plus sporting events streaming in 2011 (150-plus in 2012) and 100-plus other 3D events broadcast this year (150-plus in 2012), and 3D in the home has a bright near-term future.”

Strategy Analytics forecasts that more than one-third of American homes will purchase a 3D TV in the next three years. The research firm expects 95 million 3D-enabled devices such as gaming units, set-top boxes and PCs will be sold worldwide this year.

If global 3D sales grow 89 percent this year (as predicted by Strategy Analytics), content providers will need to continue releasing fresh content in order to help drive consumer adoption.

The Nintendo 3DS has launched in Japan with plans to hit the U.S. and European markets next month. The portable device is the first of its kind to offer glasses-free 3D gaming.

Despite the sellout of pre-order stocks, gaming enthusiasts showed up in droves for the Japanese release.  However, it remains to be seen how the 3DS will compete worldwide with the new casual gaming capabilities of tablet PCs, the Apple iPhone, Android-powered smartphones, and the next generation portable from Sony (expected to launch in 10 months).

According to Reuters, Nintendo will initially run with the formula that has traditionally worked with its DS: “a dedicated portable games device with software available on cartridges that cost $30 or more.”

Film editor and sound designer Walter Murch wrote a letter to Roger Ebert in which he discusses the pitfalls of editing and viewing 3D movies.

Ebert notes that Murch is uniquely qualified to comment on 3D, considering he has received Academy Award nominations for films edited on four different systems, including: upright Moviola, KEM flatbed, Avid, and Final Cut Pro. He also edited the 3D “Captain Eo” in the 1980s and wrote “In the Blink of an Eye: A Perspective on Film Editing” in 1995.

In his letter, Murch addresses a number of compelling points such as the inherent darkness of the 3D image, the strobe effect of horizontal movement in 3D, and what he sees as problematic issues involving how our eyes and brain interpret convergence, focus, and immersion. Murch sums up his take on 3D as, “dark, small, stroby, headache inducing, alienating. And expensive. The question is: how long will it take people to realize and get fed up?”